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Recently, newspapers and wire agencies were abuzz with a dramatic archaeological discovery—a pelvic bone believed to belong either to King Alfred the Great, or his son King Edward the Elder, had been found inside a box at the excavation site of the medieval abbey in Winchester. This discovery is not only pivotal in that it ended a millennium-long hunt for the remains of the first king of England, it’s crucial in demonstrating how the efforts of Earthwatch volunteers can go a long way in making history.

Ken and Margaret Mallory each joined an Earthwatch Expedition looking for adventure and new experiences. They ended up finding each other. The couple, now married for over 30 years, met on the Pokot: Kenya expedition in 1974, where they joined anthropologist Dr. Jean Brown to research the Pokot, one of Kenya’s indigenous tribes.

Although named the common loon, little is known about this migratory bird’s behavior and its significance as an indicator of aquatic and marine health. Earthwatch scientist, Jim Paruk, has passionately studied this bird for over two decades and is discovering, among other things, that the 2010 gulf oil spill might have severe long-lasting effects on this threatened North American species.

Dr. Kathy Townsend, the lead scientist on Earthwatch’s Project Manta expedition, is urging Australians to do more than just enjoy the ocean this summer (December through February in the Southern Hemisphere). She has asked divers and snorkelers along Australia’s east and west coasts to photograph the undersides of manta rays, each of which has unique markings on its belly, so scientists can identify and protect more of these threatened creatures.

The Earthwatch Community Fellows program helps locals get actively involved in our expeditions, enabling them to conserve the habitat in their own backyards. It builds and nurtures trust between the scientists and the community—an invaluable step that can go a long way in fragile environments.

It’s a long way from the oak-shaded streets of Stellenbosch University to the wooded expanses of the southern section of Africa’s Great Rift Valley in Malawi. But that's where several post-graduate students are helping with important environmental research.

Earthwatch has partnered with Dave Rearick, captain of the 40-foot ocean racing sailboat Bodacious Dream, to incorporate citizen science into his solo journey around the world.

An avid sailor who first began piloting boats in his teens on Lake Michigan, Dave Rearick always dreamed of circumnavigating the globe alone—one of the most solitary journeys imaginable. Now the journey has begun, and he's taken the Earthwatch commitment to research along with him.

Earthwatch joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and more than 25 other leading organizations to attempt to capture the basic idea of natural capital – the value nature provides to business.